Vietnam’s war

Right now, Filipino athletes are preparing for yet another battle

The possible postponement of the

31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam had shaken the entire region to its foundation.

A total of eight countries, including the Philippines, raised a howl, saying that they can safely stage the biennial meet this year despite the backdrop of a global pandemic.

The Singaporeans went as far as proposing that they can co-host the event together with other countries if ever the Vietnamese decide to withdraw from their commitment.

They really want the SEA Games to happen.

The last time the event was held was in the Philippines in 2019. Sure, it left a trail of controversies as the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee has yet to fully liquidate its expenses to the Commission on Audit, but the glory that the athletes gave to the country was priceless.

Is Vietnam ready for the SEA Games? I don’t think so.

The Filipinos emerged with the overall title with a record haul of 149 gold medals to create a mental note that they are the best athletes in the region.

Right now, Filipino athletes are preparing for yet another battle. They have already gotten their first dose of coronavirus vaccine and are ready to shift their training to a higher gear in preparation for their title defense.

The Filipinos are ready. Unfortunately, the host country is not.

You see, Vietnam is facing a war.

After more than a year of shielding its borders, Vietnam’s defense finally caved in, sparking the entry of new Covid-19 variants that dealt a major blow to its health system, especially in some cities and provinces that would host the SEA Games.

In fact, the number of Covid-19 infections in Vietnam had already tripled since April with its vaccination rate regarded as among the lowest in Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese health crisis is getting worse by the day that a sports facility in the province of Bac Giang was turned into a field hospital instead of being prepared to host badminton events of the SEA Games.

So far, the Vietnamese had logged only more than 9,000 cases with 55 deaths, but these numbers would definitely jack up if they open their borders to around 10,000 athletes, coaches, officials and other delegates from 10 other Southeast Asian countries just for the spirit of friendship, unity and tradition.

Let’s admit it: No matter what safety precautions they promise to put in, the 31st SEA Games is a super spreader event.

From the airport to the Athletes Village and various training and competition venues, it would be very hard for organizers to track and monitor the movement of the delegates as well as the thousands of foreign media, technical officials and guests who will enter the country.

Yes, the “no vaccination, no participation” policy in the SEA Games is expected to be fully enforced, but what about the Vietnamese public? What are the chances that they won’t contract the virus while the best athletes in Southeast Asia are competing for pride and glory?

The Vietnamese government is expected to make the final decision in a week or two.

Of course, it would be easy to say that it should approve the staging of the SEA Games this year, but it would surely consider its health situation, financial resources and sentiment of the public as well as the sponsorships, ticket sales, facilities, readiness of the athletes and other factors that would play a major role in the success of the event.

Is Vietnam ready for the SEA Games? I don’t think so.

And at this point, nobody is ready — not even wealthier countries like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia.

As I’ve said, Vietnam is in the middle of a war.

It’s a war that is definitely far bigger than the SEA Games.